Window-cleaning device.



A. B. SAUTER & H. E. WEHNER. WINDOW CLEANING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 1, 1911 Patented Oct. 22, 1912.

Z SHEETS-SHEET 1v A. B. SAUTER & H. E. WEHNER.

WINDOW CLEANING DEVICE.

A'PPLIOATION' FILED JULY 1, 1911.

1,042,283. Patented 001;. 22, 1912. I 2 SEEETSHEET Z.

I L79 W m x 76 J 4 4 5 Q i 4 E36 Z 8 @l 5 /7 v\ R 1 W 5 -9 m; 7/

' n'n'irun srarns earner airmen.

ALFRED B. SAUTEB AND HERMAN E. WEHNER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

Specificatidn of Letters Patent.

WINDOW-CLEANING DEVICE.

' Patented oer. as, rare.

Application filed July 1, 1911. Serial No. 636,326.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ALFRED B. Sanrnn and HERMAN E. WERNER, citizens of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in VVindow-Cleaning Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a cleaning device for windows, and is primarily adapted for use in connection with car windows, but of course susceptible for use upon other Windows, the object of the invention being to provide simple and eifective means for removing dust, dirt, -or moisture from the exterior of the window so as to render the scenery, through which the train traverses, discernible to the passengers and without necessitating the raising or lowering of the window sash.

With the above objects in View, and others which will appear as the description of the invention progresses, the improvement resides in the novel construction and arrange ment of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the drawings, accompanying this specification, there has been illustrated a simple and preferred embodiment of the improvement, it being understood, however, that the showing therein is merely illustrative, and that changes in the minor details of construction, such as to shape, size, proportion, material, etc., which fall within the scope of the appended claim, may be resorted to, if

desired, without departing from'the spirit or'sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 1s a side elevation of a window provided with the improvement, and looking toward the outer portion thereof. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken upon the line 2? of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view taken upon the line 33 of Fig. 2. Fig. i is a sectional view taken upon the line 1-4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a perspective View of the squeegee detached from the window.

In the drawings, the numeral '1 designates an ordinary window sash commonly employed upon railway trains, the same being provided with the usual glass :2. The numeral 3 designates the casing within which the sash is positioned. lotatably mounted within an opening provided upon one of the stiles of the casing 3 is a shaft 4:. This shaft projects a suitable distance beyond the opposite sides of the said casing, and the inner projecting portion of the said shaft is angular as at 5, to receive the angular bore of a removable handle 6. The outer projecting portion of the shaft is provided with a toothed wheel 7 the purpose of which will presently be set forth.

The numeral 8 designates a frame which is adapted to .be positioned between the members forming the casing and to contact with the sash 1. This frame may be secured in any desired manner, and the said frame has three of its sides substantially jacent the corners of the U-shaped sides are shafts or trunnions 9, the said trunnions being adapted to receive sprocket wheels 10 which carry endless chains 11, the said chains being arranged adjacent the top and bottom of the frame. jacent the U-shaped side member of the frame are further provided with sprocket wheels 12, and these sprocket wheels are adapted to engage with endless chains 13, the latter traveling vertically between the sides of the vertical U-shaped member of the frame. The horizontal members of the frame are provided with longitudinally ex tending slots 14: and 15, and adapted to extend through the said slots and to engage with the longitudinally extending sprocket chains are the fingers 16 and 17 of the cleaning or wiping member 18. The wiping device comprises essentially a central member which is formed with reduced fingers l6 and 17 and a pair of oppositely arranged plates 19 and 20.. These plates 19 and 20 are each provided with elongated openings, the latter being adapted to receive securing elements, such as bolts 21 and nuts 22, and whereby the said members may be adjusted with regard to the central member of the cleaning or wiping device. Arranged between the plates 19 and 20 is a cleaning strip 23, the latter 'being of a length corresponding with that of the side members and adapted to contact with the glass 2 of the Q sash 1.

One of the fingers 16 of the cleaning de vice is arranged so as to engage the lower flight of the upper chain member 11, while the opposite finger 17 is extended through the opening or slot 15 and is off-set to form a substantially L-sliaped extension, the ver The trunnions 9 ad-- tical member of which engages the lower flight of the lower chain 11. By reference to Fig. '5 of the drawing, it will be noted that the finger 1G is arranged in a plane with the inner edge of the central member to which it is connected, the shoulder termed at the juncture of the said finger with the said inner men'iber is adapted to serve as a stop or contact for the said central member with the lower lead Of the upper chain 11. It will be further noted that the L-shaped or offset. portion oi the finger 17 is provided upon a reduced extending portion which has its outer edge in a plane with the outer edge of the central member, thus providing a cutaway portion or space upon the inner edge of the said central member to permit of the said central. member passing the upper lead of the lower chain 1.1 without interfering with the movement of the said chain, as well as to permit of the inner edge ott-hc vertical portion of the said L-shaped finger being. arranged in a plane with the inner edge of the finger 1G. "I t will be further noted that the oilset. portion provided by the said l..--shaped linger will serve as a stop or rest for this end of the central plate or member, when the cleaner is arranged upon the chains. Furthermore the fingers are substantially rectangular in cross section to snugly but frictionally engage between the lin s of the chain to prevent a swinging movement of the cleaner and to effectively direct the same to its work. Trunnioned between the sides of the vertical iJ-shaped member oi the frame is a sprocket wheel 24, the latter engaging the opposite flights of the chain 13, and the trunnion 25 01" the said sprocket wheel 24- is extended a suitable distance and provided with a gear wheel 26, the latter adapted to mesh with the toothed.

i 7 heretofore described.

certain amount of a. cl: allowed the upper and. lower endless chains 11, and by connect-- fl w the "er between the links of the lower fl. the upper chain 16, and the oil-set finger 17 with the lower flight of the lower chain 11, the member 18 may be raised so as to first remove the ofi-set portion of the finger 17 from between the links of the lower chain 11, this being effected, of course, by an upward pressure upon the said member 18, and the said member 18 may then have its finger 16 readily drawn from the chain 11, so that the side members 18 and 19 may be removed and a new cleaning strip may be inserted therebet-ween.

Having thus fully described the 'said invention, what I claim is In a window cleaning device, upper and lower endless chains and means for operating the chains in unison, a cleaning member comprising a central plate provided with removable side plates, and a cleaning element clamped between the side plates, the central plate having one of its ends provided with a reduced finger, the outer edge of which is in a plane with the outer edge of the central plate, the said finger being rectangular in. cross section and adapted to,

frictionally engage between two of the links of the lower lead of the upper chain and to have the shoulder provided between the finger and the central plate contact with the said lower lead of the upper chain, the opposite end of the central plate being provided' with a reduced extension which is arranged in a plane with the inner edge of the said plate, the extremity of the said exten' sion being formed with a substantially L- shaped finger, the said finger being rectangular in cross section, and bein adapted to engage between two of the liiiks of the lower lead of the lower endless chain, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

ALFRED B. SAUTER. HERMAN WEHNER.

Witnesses:

FRANZ KooI-I, VINCENT KOSTAWSKT. 

